m. help, but exclusively used of hospitable entertainment, kind treatment, hospitality; vinna, veita, e-m beina, Eb. 268; þykir yðr eigi sá b. beztr, at yðr sé borð sett ok gefinu náttverðr ok síðan fari þér at sofa, Eg. 548; ofgörr er beininn, too much trouble taken, too much attendance, Lv. 38 (Ed. badly ‘beinan’); höfðu þar blíðan beina, Fms. ii. 248, iv. 336; mikit er nú um beina þinn, what hospitable treatment! Ísl. ii. 155, Bjarn. 53–55, Fas. i. 79: ganga um beina, to wait upon the guests, in old times (as at present in Icel.) an honourable task; in great banquets the lady or daughter of the house, assisted by servants, did this office; Þórhildr (the daughter) gékk um beina, ok báru þær Bergþóra (the mother) mat á borð, Nj. 50, cp. Lv. l. c., Fms. xi. 52; Hít (the hospitable giantess) gékk um b., Bárð. 174; Þiðrandi (the son of the house) gékk um beina, Fms. ii. 194;—but it is added, ‘because he was humble and meek,’ for it was not regarded as fit work for a man; cp. þá er konur gengu um b. um dagverð, Sturl. i. 132.

COMPDS: beinabót, beinamaðr, beinaspell, beinaþurfi.